By Chance and Circumstance
by Nokomiss
Summary: In New Orleans, Rogue meets someone from Gambit's past. Introducing Belladonna into Evo.


Title: By Chance and Circumstance  
Characters: Gambit/Rogue, Belladonna  
Word count: 936  
Rating: PG

AN: Written for Lielabell.

* * *

Rogue had forgotten what summer nights were supposed to feel like after all that time in New York.

But in New Orleans, it had all come rushing back to her. The sticky heat, the way it always felt like you were wearing too many clothes, no matter how many layers you shed. Rogue couldn't shed many layers, not like when she was a kid and didn't have to worry about hurting other people with her skin.

She couldn't quite believe she'd let Remy talk her into coming- not after their first time down here, and all the hoopla that had followed. But he'd grinned at her, that damned grin that made her silly every time, whether she was holding an explosive card or trying to turn down a trip down south, and New Orleans had suddenly sounded like heaven.

And now she was standing as close as possible to the air conditioner in a restaurant Remy had claimed was the best in the entire state, waiting while he sweet talked the cook into making something special that Remy claimed she'd adore.

"You here with Remy?"

Rogue jumped, slightly, as a blonde girl turned a chair from the nearest table backwards and sat at it, looking up at her critically. She was wearing the same fashionably casual clothes as all the other girls in the restaurant, but Rogue felt something predatory about her. Probably the folded knife clearly outlined in her jeans pocket, or the smirk on her face as she took Rogue in.

"Of course you are," the blonde continued, undeterred by Rogue's lack of response. "Not really his type, are you?"

"More than you are," Rogue snapped back.

The blonde laughed, and stood, pushing the chair back with her foot. "You really think Remy will stay with a girl he can't touch?"

Rogue barely had the time to wonder how this girl had known about her ability when the blonde darted closer and pecked her on the lips.

The bright flash of memory and the heat of life force rushed into Rogue, and it took her what felt like an eternity to sort out what the images in her head meant.

This blonde girl, wearing white and kissing Remy at the altar of a crowded church.  
This girl, laughing in Remy's arms. Being thrown into a pool by Remy. Throwing a knife at an awkwardly young Remy, barely missing him.

Rogue's eyes were wide when the girl -Belladonna, whispered a sultry voice in the back of her mind- smirked again and sauntered off.

When Remy returned, bearing a bowl of steaming jambalaya, Rogue felt like she was seeing a stranger. Sure, she'd known that he had a past, but she hadn't thought that past included... all that.

"What's wrong, _cherie_?" Remy asked, picking up her hand reassuringly.

"You'd tell me if there were someone important in your life, wouldn't you?" Rogue asked. That white dress burned in her mind.

"I thought you knew," Remy said with an easy smile. "You're the most important person to me."

"There was this girl in here, a minute ago," Rogue said. She couldn't not tell him. She had to confirm that the girl was delusional. "She... made contact with me. I saw things from her past. Things involving you."

Remy immediately began toying with his spoon, and every few seconds it began to gleam lightly red.

"Her name was Belladonna," Rogue said, and felt completely unsurprised when Remy's spoon clattered into his bowl.

"_Merde_," he muttered, wiping specks of jambalaya off his sleeve.

"I know she was telling the truth, Remy," Rogue said, frustrated. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She didn't know if she wanted to storm out or sit here and let Remy weave her a story that would make it all okay. Her head felt too full, and it wasn't from the barest of contact she'd had with that blonde hussy.

"Rogue, that was a long time ago," Remy said.

"What, you got married when you were three?" Rogue snapped.

"It was a political thing," Remy tried again.

"You're no prince," Rogue said. That was for damn sure, no matter what he'd convinced her before.

"I'm not," he agreed. "But... in certain circles... We really shouldn't be talking about this here, _cherie_."

"I never should have trusted you," Rogue said with certainty. "You used to work for Magneto and everything. I was a fool."

"Damn it, Rogue, you ain't exactly an angel," Remy snapped. "And I told you, me and Belladonna have been over a long time. Since just after the weddin', in fact. Never even went on the honeymoon."

Rogue looked at him doubtfully. "Why not?"

"Because I accidently killed her brother," Remy admitted in a quiet voice. "She hates me now, Rogue, that's why she went and showed you those things. She knows I'm ashamed of what I did, and wanted to break us up because we're happy. Because I love you now."

Rogue kept blinking. She knew that there were a bunch of different things she should be getting mad at, or asking for more information about, but damn if she couldn't get past the "I love you" part.

"I love you too, you dumb old swamp rat," she muttered. "And you'd best tell me the entire story, and not be lying cause I'll find out, but right now... let's finish our dinner."

Remy's smile was happier than she'd seen in a long while. She angrily stabbed her spoon into her bowl, but she had to go with her gut instinct on this one.

She reluctantly smiled back at him, just a little bit.


End file.
